It would be fair to say that there is a lot of excitement surrounding 16-year-old Manchester United attacker Mason Greenwood.
The Englishman has scored 14 times in 14 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League this season, which are numbers that must be respected at any level of football.
Greenwood was also on the scoresheet on Sunday night as United opened the Dallas Cup with a 2-2 draw against Tigres in Texas.
The attacker scored in the 77th minute courtesy of a slick finish, and he was pictured in the tweet that included a link to United’s match report.
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As expected, a number of United fans, who have also recently called on their club to sign this England international, responded to the post by revealing their thoughts on Greenwood, who has been tipped to become a first-team star at Old Trafford.
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Angel Gomes is considered by many to be United’s best young talent, but Greenwood continues to go from strength to strength, and it might not be too long before the teenager is given a sniff of first-team action for the 20-time English champions.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
In all honesty, last month’s transfer window was a little disappointing to say the least. Managers, chairmen, and teams throughout Europe were seemingly governed by caution above all else this winter. Transfer deadline day lacked the usual collection of panic buys and big names on the move, and it may be tha the January transfer window is losing the reputation it once held in Premier League football.
That said, the month didn’t pass entirely without note. Wilfried Bony’s £28 million switch to the Etihad, along with Juan Cuadrado’s high profile move to Chelsea, were the two most significant deals of the window. These particular pieces of business add a new dimension to the second half of the campaign, and give the title race that extra bit of unpredictability.
Despite losing their main man up top this season, Swansea City have hardly reinvested their £28million back into their striking department. Although the likes of Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton will certainly give Garry Monk some greater squad depth, there remains a clear Bony-sized hole in his attacking set-up, which surely will be addressed in the summer.
In the meantime however, how will the Swans fare for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign? And which of their stars can now step up in the absence of Wilfried Bony?
Swansea’s loss has certainly been Manchester City’s gain. The champions have landed themselves a powerful striker who can hold-up play, knit moves together in the final third, and simply score goals as if there is no tomorrow. Bony’s biggest asset is his goalscoring prowess, but it’s not just the frequency of his goals that is impressive, it’s his style as well.
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Any such player will surely add some much needed spice to this season’s title race, but in regards to Swansea, Garry Monk’s side now have to prepare for life without the big Ivorian. Whilst a drop down the table and a subsequent dip in form won’t necessarily afflict the Welsh side in the wake of his departure, the Swans cant afford to take their finger off the pulse in this potentially vulnerable moment. Several of their key men will therefore have to step up and emulate Bony’s contribution to the best of their abilities, the first of which being Bafetimbi Gomis.
The former Lyon man arrived at the Liberty Stadium in the summer to a great deal of sensation, but has since failed to properly establish himself as a Premier League player and a first team starter. He may bring with him an impressive reputation in France, but Gomis certainly hasn’t been at the level many Swans fans had hoped for upon his signing. The availability of first team places have hardly been widespread for the striker however, but with Bony’s departure, now is a great time for Bafetimbi Gomis to display what he really has to offer.
Swansea can play either entirely on the deck or become a bit more direct with Gomis on board, which should play into the hands of the rest of Monk’s attacking arsenal. The likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Routledge will likely continue their good form of this season, with summer recruit Jefferson Montero still having an important role to play along with the ever-determined Marvin Emnes. Bony’s departure also sparks an opportunity for Nathan Dyer, who despite impressing large sections of the footballing community so far in his career, has perhaps not reached the levels many were initially expecting of the rapid wideman.
January loanee Nelson Oliveira could also earn a place in this Swansea team for the remainder of the season, but as his signing has hardly been touted as a ‘Wilfried Bony replacement’, the spotlight doesn’t deserve to be pointed right at the 23-year-old from Benfica just yet.
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Ultimately then Manchester City’s new Ivorian striker will be a hard asset to replace for the Swans in their attempts to maintain their rise up the English leagues. As Garry Monk has a nice selection of hungry, willing, and bright players ready to step up collectively in Bony’s absence however; perhaps the situation is not as negative as it may seem for the ever plucky Swans.
Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has praised Ross Barkley after the Everton loanee put in an encouraging performance in the weekend’s clash against Barnsley.
The match against their Yorkshire rivals ended in disappointment for Leeds, who went down to a 2-0 defeat against the Championship strugglers.
But the performance of Barkley, who has joined on loan from the Toffees in a bid to get more game time, was a positive element in an otherwise forgettable day.
And Warnock admits he was not surprised by the 19-year-old’s display, saying he was well aware of what he would bring to the Elland Road outfit.
“I said to him afterwards that we’re not always like that”, Warnock told his club’s official site.
“You could see why we brought him here and you could see what he’s got. He’s got good energy, he created chances out of nothing and he was the one bright spark of the team.
“I thought the Leeds fans could see that with the reception he got at the end. They appreciated him and what he brought to the team.”
Barkley will be unavailable for Leeds’ next match, an FA Cup third-round replay against Birmingham on Tuesday evening.
The midfielder is ineligible for the fixture, alongside fellow January signing Michael Tongue, having signed for United after the initial 1-1 draw with the Blues.
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A victory for Warnock’s men would see them secure a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur in the competition’s fourth round.
Leeds fans are not impressed by Pontus Jansson after the big Swede praised the atmosphere at Elland Road.
There are plenty of problems at Elland Road right now, and fans are growing increasingly frustrated with current crop of players. One thing that will infuriate the Leeds faithful more than anything is the apparent lack of effort, especially at home.
All too often the current side collapses under the pressure at Elland Road, and when the going gets tough the players seem to perform even worse.
Fans have now been annoyed by the comments of Pontus Jansson, who applauded the atmosphere from the fans.
“They support me and the rest of the team all over England in huge numbers – but there is nothing like playing at home,” the 27 year-old said.
“The noise you get when Elland Road is rocking is amazing and we have shared some great memories together which will live with me forever.”
Jansson’s comments have been met with scepticism from more than a few fans, who were amazed last week by an embarrassing statistic on the side’s home form.
Leeds welcome Bolton to Elland Road after the international break before a difficult trip to Fulham. Any hopes of a playoff push have completely evaporated, but a positive end to the season could lift spirits ahead of an important transfer window.
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Fans have been reacting to Jansson’s comments on Twitter, and let’s just say they’re not particularly optimistic…
We’ve seen some fantastic goals in the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
The goalscoring charts is filled with legends of the game, both past and present, and from a wide range of clubs who have enjoyed a mixed bag success throughout the years.
But who makes up the top 50 Premier League goal scorers of all time? Can you name them all? Have a go below and see how many you can get in 15 minutes.
Then why not challenge you mates by sharing your results via Facebook?
Go on, do your worst. NO CHEATING!
[ffc-quiz ]
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Both Liverpool and Newcastle United will make a January approach for Valenciennes centre back Nicolas Isimat Mirin according to the Metro.
The French club are happy to talk to admirers if a bid of £4million or more is placed in the January transfer window.
Both the Reds and the Magpies are desperate to sure up their failing defences with the pair massively underachieving this season after so much expectation in the summer.
Newcastle have had numerous injury problems this season with Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor both being affected while Liverpool are planning for life without club legend Jamie Carragher.
The French centre half is just one of a batch of impressive young Ligue 1 players that have blossomed this season, sparking an Arsene Wenger style raid of the French League in January.
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Valenciennes are happy to do business with regard to Isimat Mirin but they would want to keep the defender on loan for the rest of the season.
Michael Neser did his best to keep Queensland in the match but the home side lost a late wicket
AAP19-Feb-2025Opener Sam Fanning fell just short of a century but put Western Australia in a powerful position against Queensland on day two of their Sheffield Shield game.Fanning made 95 as WA posted 312 all out on Wednesday at The Gabba in reply to Queensland’s first innings of 147. At stumps, Queensland were 39 for 1 in their second innings, still 126 runs behind the visitors.Related
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Fanning was within reach of his maiden first-class century when he launched at an off-side drive at a Michael Neser delivery but chopped onto his stumps.The New Zealand-born left hander struck five fours and two sixes in his 229-ball knock and featured in two telling partnerships. He put on 108 with his opening partner Sam Whiteman, who was dismissed for 67 late on Tuesday. Fanning also combined with Jayden Goodwin for a 103-run partnership for the third wicket.Goodwin made 40 before missing an attempted sweep from legspinner Mitch Swepson. Goodwin’s dismissal triggered a slide of 5 for 27 as Queensland stalwart Neser ripped through the middle order.Neser finished with 4 for 34 from 21 overs. He had nightwatchman Corey Rocchiccioli caught at mid-off for 2 early on the second day’s play and later removed Fanning, Ashton Turner and Keaton Critchell, with fellow quick Xavier Bartlett dismissing Joel Curtis as WA lost five wickets in a 10-over span.WA allrounder Hilton Cartwright then rallied his side with a handy 48 not out, steering the visitors to a 165-run innings lead.WA then achieved a key breakthrough when Rocchiccioli snared his eighth wicket in the match. The offspinner, who claimed a career-best 7 for 52 in the first innings, removed Matt Renshaw for 10 in his first over of the innings.
Earlier, Scott Edwards dragged Netherlands out of trouble yet again with a half-century
Madushka Balasuriya28-Oct-20231:38
Pujara: Netherlands are a ‘unit’, Bangladesh are not
Scott Edwards once more dragged his team from the abyss, but it was the bowlers who led the victory charge as the Netherlands held firm in their defence of a middling total of 229 to record an emphatic 87-run win over Bangladesh. The result sees Bangladesh all but eliminated from the semi-final contention, while the Dutch have yet another famous victory to add to their collection – one that, aside from its impact on this tournament, in the grand scheme of cricket as a sport in the Netherlands will be yet another rung on an ever more impressive ladder of growth.The victory was arguably made sweeter by virtue of it coming in Kolkata, where Bangladesh had support as close to home backing as they are likely to get this World Cup, with the short flight in from Dhaka offering many fans easy access.But in the end, it would be a journey ending in frustration – many were seen leaving the stadium early – as a well-drilled Dutch outfit trumped their much more experienced counterparts in nearly all facets of the game.Related
BCB chief asks players to be 'courageous' in aftermath of Netherlands loss
This was primarily a victory built on the now customary rearguard heroics of captain Edwards – his entire clan in attendance at the stadium to cheer him on – as he stitched together his second fifty of the tournament, an 89-ball 68.What will particularly hurt Bangladesh is that they could have seen the back of him before he even got going – twice dropped on zero – but that in a microcosm was the difference between the two sides. While both teams struggled with the bat, the Dutch persevered to get to a fighting total, and while both sets of bowlers kept things tight to create chances through pressure, it was the Dutch who capitalised on them with ferocity; Bangladesh, on the other hand, were left to rue their missed opportunities.Such fortune though would be for nought without proper backing and, like they had done so impressively against South Africa, the bowlers and fielders once more ensured that their skipper’s efforts did not go in vain.Scott Edwards brought up his second fifty in this World Cup•AFP/Getty Images
Paul van Meekeren was excellent picking up figures of 4 for 23, including that of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim; Bas de Leede, fresh off his World Cup record hounding at the hands of Australia, took out the only two Bangladesh batters who threatened the Dutch total – Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahmudullah, for 35 and 20, respectively; and then there was the ever reliable Aryan Dutt, who despite picking up just one wicket was wily as ever, starting off the Dutch defence by dismissing Litton Das, reeling of two consecutive maidens inside the first powerplay, and generally affording the batters with rarely a moment’s rest with his guile and variation.In the face of this Dutch exuberance, Bangladesh floundered in their chase, unable to match their opponents’ energy. They lost wickets at regular intervals, unable to string together partnerships of any reasonable length – 38 was their highest – as a middling chase fast became a daunting and, eventually, impossible one.That hardly seemed the case midway through the Dutch innings, though, when having won the toss and elected to bat, they suffered yet another top-order collapse. Only a late surge at the death where they scored 74 in the last ten overs, including 36 in the final three, got them to their eventually winning total.That Bangladesh were able to keep them to 229 even after that was a testament to the work put in by their bowlers. The early damage had been caused by Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, who picked up openers Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd inside the first three overs to leave the Dutch reeling at 4 for 2.While there was a brief counter courtesy Wesley Barresi, his run-a-ball 41 was the only instance of a Netherlands batter showing any degree of dominance over a disciplined Bangladeshi attack. In fact, Netherlands would have to wait until the penultimate over of the innings to register their first six.Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan and Co had reduced Netherlands to 194 for 8 at one stage•Associated Press
But another pair of wickets once more set Netherlands back as the two set batters, Barresi and Colin Ackermann, fell in quick succession to Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib, respectively. It was at that point the spinners began their slow strangle, as none of Shakib, Mehidy or Mahedi Hasan conceded more than four an over across the middle overs. Indeed, it was only in the final over of the innings that Netherlands showed any sort of aggression against spin, taking Mahedi for 17.And so it was that Edwards was once more tasked to patch his side up, first with de Leede and then Sybrand Engelbrecht. With de Leede, he scrounged 44 off 74, and with Engelbrecht, a slightly quicker 78 off 105.Throughout those stands there was hardly a highlight that could be extracted or stroke played in anger, with the intent simply to knock it around and bat as deep as possible. An understandable endeavour considering Edwards had entered the fray with his side on a perilous 63 for 3, which soon became 63 for 4.But when he departed 30 overs later, he had dragged them to a slightly more respectable 185 for 6, before the late hitting took them to a fighting total.At the time that seemed below par, especially with many expecting the surface to favour the batters. However, with the ball starting to stick in the pitch and take some turn, it was Netherlands who adapted better and showed the wherewithal to come through victorious in the end.
World record opening stand makes light of steep chase as hosts level series at 1-1
Danyal Rasool22-Sep-2022A world record unbeaten 203-run partnership that was devastating in its brutality and yet delectable in its beauty saw Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chase down 200 against England with three balls to spare, and without the loss of a single wicket. Babar scored his second T20I hundred, taking 62 balls to get there, while Rizwan’s unbeaten 51-ball 88 was a more than adequate supporting act.The wicket seemed to play especially slow in the first innings, so the 199 England put up looked well above par at the time. That came thanks to two contrasting innings from the England middle order, with Ben Duckett’s pragmatic shot-making setting a platform, before Moeen Ali’s furious elegance saw him caress an undefeated 55 off 23. Given Babar had said at the toss 160 would be the upper limit of what Pakistan wanted to chase, England looked invulnerable.But for all of Pakistan’s strike rate issues up the order, there has never been any evidence Babar and Rizwan aren’t at their best when chasing a total, no matter what that total might be. They did, after all, gun down 204 against South Africa in April 2021 with a 197-run partnership, and they were more than up for the relentlessly attacking cricket they would have to subject England’s bowling to. Fifty-nine came off the powerplay, and the openers simply continued in the same vein as the visitors ran out of ideas. Alex Hales grassing Rizwan in the powerplay was a sliding doors moment, as a virtually chanceless opening pairing timed the chase to perfection to seal a stunning 10-wicket win.The devastating duo
There’s really little point talking about much else. England have the better power hitters, the better middle order, and significantly more batting weapons in their arsenal, and don’t Babar and Rizwan know it. These two put together a solid opening stand in the first game, only to see their team-mates crumble under pressure, and so it appeared they recognised solid wasn’t going to cut it. They might have to do it all themselves.A couple of boundaries either side of square from Rizwan in the first over set the tone. Rizwan led the charge early on as the captain took his time bedding in, though a couple of clobbered boundaries off Sam Curran suggested Babar, too, was beginning to whirr back into form. With the pace bowlers seen to, Moeen turned to Liam Dawson’s spin, but 13 runs off the sixth over suggested Pakistan would allow the visitors no hiding place.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
A brief quiet spell following the powerplay saw the asking rate creep up, but when Moeen put himself on in the 13th over, the tide turned decisively. Twenty-one from the over, including three muscled sixes, put the openers in a zone few others in world cricket can reach. From thereon, they were unstoppable, England’s bowlers no impediment in the inexorable march to the target. A flurry of boundaries followed and by the time Babar brought up his century, the victory was almost a formality. It was, fittingly, a cover drive that sealed the win, a signature shot from a man who showed an ephemeral dip in form was little more than that.Duckett and Moeen’s contrasting styles
It would be hard to imagine what kind of surface you’d need to produce to ensure both Moeen and Duckett might excel, but this Karachi strip appears to be one of them. A slow surface made it difficult to play down the ground, and so Duckett resorted to playing the paddle and reverse sweep almost exclusively to great effect. A quickfire 50-run stand with Phil Salt allowed England to edge ahead, and by the time Duckett was cleaned up by Mohammad Nawaz, he had scored what looked an extremely handy 22-ball 43 in an innings where England otherwise struggled.But Moeen took over the reins thereafter, punishing every error in line and length – of which there were plenty on an off-colour day for Pakistan’s bowlers – making a mockery of the idea this pitch might not be suitable to conventional shot-making. He didn’t discriminate between spin and pace, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Hasnain both seeing the final two deliveries of their last overs sent sailing over the ropes. It was a breathtaking mix of timing, power and beauty, an all-round treat for the eyes that looked, at that time, as if it might be the point of difference.
The franchises had requested the PCB to shift the games out of Karachi because of the pandemic
Umar Farooq07-May-2021The PCB has approached the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to host the remaining games of the rescheduled 2021 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the UAE. The original plan had been to play the matches in Karachi, but the PCB has decided against it following a request from the six franchises as well as advice from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which asked the board to avoid playing in Karachi because of the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.Upon the franchises’ request to move the matches out of Pakistan, the PCB met with all the teams via video conference to discuss the financial implications of postponing the tournament. The PCB has agreed to look beyond Karachi, with UAE as a preferred venue for the games. The UAE was where the PSL began, its inaugural edition in 2016 held there while international cricket was not taking place in Pakistan.Karachi had originally been announced as the venue for the tournament and even till last week, the PCB was proceeding on the basis that tournament would be held there, with the board making arrangements for a hotel. But earlier this week, the PCB met with the NCOC, whose forecast of the Covid situation in Pakistan over the next 20 days wasn’t reassuring. The NCOC informed the PCB there might be a rise in cases post-Eid, and that the government might subsequently enforce a stricter lockdown in the country. Already a nationwide lockdown has begun from today, to be in place until May 15.”We had an interactive and productive meeting in which we considered a number of factors,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, said. “While the UAE has emerged as a preferred venue, a number of challenges remain, which will be worked through over the coming days. We remain committed to doing everything possible to complete the HBL PSL 6.”The tournament was initially slated to start from June, but with the change of venue, the PCB will work on a revised schedule. The window to host the tournament is unlikely to alter too much though, as Pakistan are scheduled to begin a tour of England from June 23. Though the PCB and PSL have both agreed to playing in UAE, a final confirmation will be made only when the franchises give their approval upon seeing the revised opportunity costs of playing abroad.”The PCB will carry out a detailed financial and risk assessment as well as cost analysis before reporting back to the franchises, who will then review before a decision on the event venue is confirmed,” the PCB said.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the franchises had written a letter to the board last week, asking for the tournament to be played in the Emirates.The 2021 edition of the PSL was suspended after 14 games – played between February 20 and March 3, all in Karachi – following an outbreak of cases among players and support staff. After a date for resumption was finalised – June 2 to June 20 – the franchises took part in a replacement draft to plug holes in their line-ups because a number of overseas players would not be able to take part in the games on the new dates.The changed situation with the pandemic, however, made franchises nervous about the situation, which led to them approaching the PCB.Pakistan, meanwhile, has announced a decision to curtail inbound flights to the country from May 5 to May 20.A move to the UAE would not be without its own logistical and operational issues, though. Flights to the country from Pakistan are currently operating at a severely reduced frequency. And June is not a month in which top-level cricket is often played in the UAE, because of the oppressive heat at that time of the year.